Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage producers to extend the lifespan of food, in the context of reducing (a) consumer waste and (b) costs for consumers.

Defra is working closely with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the food industry to reduce consumer food waste. Through WRAP, Defra supports food businesses, including producers, and their work in making sure their products help consumers to waste less food at home. This includes developing best practice guidance on improving the clarity of ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ date labelling, clearer storage advice and optimised packaging design and pack sizes for fresh produce. This helps people to save money and reduce food waste by buying what they need and using what they buy.